Bijal Joshi rape accused lose appeal

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday upheld a verdict against five people convicted in the Bijal Joshi gang-rape case in Ahmedabad.

The five men, including main accused Sajjal Jain - the son of an influential Delhi-based businessman - had raped 24-year-old Bijal at a New Year´s eve party at a city hotel in 2004.

In 2008, a court had convicted the five men and sentenced them to life imprisonment - a verdict they had challenged in the High Court.

The High Court´s ruling comes amid a nationwide outcry over the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in Delhi on Dec 16 that has sparked a rare national debate over the safety of women in India.